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Karai (character)
Oroku Karai is a fictional character in various installments of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) comics and related media, where she is usually a high-rank member of the Foot Clan outlaw ninja organization. She was originally introduced in Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's comic book series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1992. Since then, she has appeared in several different TMNT comics, cartoons and films, as well as in about a dozen video games. In some incarnations of the character (including the 2003 cartoon, the 2012 cartoon, and the 2010s comics), she is closely related to the villain Shredder as his adopted daughter or biological granddaughter. However, in her original comic incarnation, Karai was completely unrelated to the Shredder and was actually higher in the Foot Clan's global hierarchy. In most works, she shares a particular rivalry and love-hate relationship with the Turtle leader, Leonardo. In the animated and game adaptations, Karai is primarily voiced by Karen Neil, Zhang Ziyi and Kelly Hu, while Minae Noji and Brittany Ishibashi portray the character in live-action films. In film ''TMNT'' In the 2007 animated film TMNT, Karai is a new character voiced by Zhang Ziyi. Inspired by the original Karai from the 1990s comics, and shown wearing a red mask and a full-body black armor with a hood on her head and a cape, Karai is the Japanese Foot Clan boss and has come to take over the New York Foot after the Shredder's death. This version of Karai may or may be not related to the Shredder; in the bio text of her action figure in the film's merchandise she is described as being the Shredder's daughter and Wesley Morris described her as "Shredder's niece" but no clear indication of this was given in the actual film. Karai was one of favorite comics characters of the writer and director Kevin Munroe and he "was the one who really pushed for Karai" to appear in the film. While making the film, Munroe wrote: "again, we’ll only see her sans-mask for one shot at the end. Up until that point, we’ll make her body a bit less curvy and less feminine to not raise unnecessary questions." Talking about a possible sequel to the film, as well as about comics, Munroe said he would "love to see us explore the Karai and Foot Ninja thing a little more". Karai is the new leader of the Foot, hired by the mysterious billionaire Max Winters to help him and his Stone Generals hunt down the thirteen ancient immortal monsters. She fights with Leonardo (whom she clearly recognizes) and rejects his offer to help them, also engaging in battle with April O'Neil while the Foot battles the Turtles and their allies. During the tide of the battle, both the Foot Clan and the Turtles realized that Winters, revealing himself to be an immortal warlord named Yaotl, only wanted the monsters to be returned to their world to undo the immortality curse he and his Stone Generals had endured. Unfortunately, the Stone Generals have betrayed Winters by deliberately missing the final monster and intend to use the portal to finalize their conquest of Earth. When the Stone Generals offer the Foot a chance to join them in world conquest, Karai refuses, saying that they would honor their contract to Winters. Aided by April and Casey, she then leads her ninja in retrieving the last of the monsters. In the end, Karai parts ways with the Turtles peacefully, but gives a cryptic last word that Turtles "have passed" something (she refuses to elaborate) and "soon we will have further business together; the kind that involves familiar faces from your past", hinting on the Shredder's upcoming return (which was indeed being planned for the film's cancelled sequel). 2014 film and Half Shell Minae Noji portrayed Karai in the 2014 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Noji confirmed that her character appeared twice in the film's first trailer (released in March 2014), and that Karai is an enemy of the Turtles. Noji, who said she "knew the character backwards and forwards" and described it as her "dream come true," also said she enjoyed the role because she has "always been magnetized to women who are strong women warriors — not necessarily physically, but as a spirit, as a soul, with inner strength." Noji said the casting was "unique in that, because the project was so confidential, none of the actors were given the name of character or the sides ahead of time. However, since I’m a fan of the franchise, I was able to piece things together and quickly knew it was for the role of Karai. I was elated." It was reported there was a filmed but unused scene of a fight between April O'Neil, Vernon Fenwick, Karai, and The Foot in downtown Manhattan that was cut from the finished film. Will Arnett, who played Vernon, said his character "comes out just at the right moment and hits Karai with the gurney and knocks her off balance a little bit. Then April kind of finishes her off." According to Comic Vine's review, "Karai is apparently just there for fans to say, 'look, there's Karai!' Her role really is limited to shouting orders and failing miserably." Zimbio opined it is "disappointing that in the new movie Karai is so underused. With a story that focuses on Shredder and William Fichtner's villain, Karai is relegated to third-string status, and she just sort of blends into the background" and, unlike in other TMNT stories, does not "show signs of being something more than the one-dimensional villain we got onscreen."Heavy.com also stated that "not getting to see much of Karai in action is a disappointment" and Douglas Walker called her cool-looking but ultimately "entirely pointless". MovieWeb included "A Bigger Role for Karai" among the nine things they would like to see in the film's sequel, stating that "watching the new movie, it feels as though some of her scenes were cut out. We like Minae Noji, let's hope they give her something more to do next time. The character deserves it." Karai was announced to appear in the upcoming follow-up to the 2014 film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half Shell revealed in May 2015, with Brittany Ishibashi replacing Minae Noji.Announcing it, Ishibashi wrote her "inner fangirl is freaking out." External links * Karai (comic book character) – Comic Vine Category:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series Category:Characters Category:TMNT Character Category:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) Character